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Networx telecom briefs

The top executive at AT&T Inc. is joining those turning down part or all of their bonuses in the wake of President Barack Obama’s recent criticism of the $18.4 billion in bonuses paid Wall Street execs last year as “shameful.”

AT&T Inc. Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson announced he will forgo his 2008 bonus. Stephenson’s bonus, which usually is about 25 percent of his annual compensation, was $4.5 million in 2007, the Reuters report said.

Additionally, the company will freeze salaries of 120,000 managerial employees this year. “We are committed to doing all we can to help preserve and protect jobs, and this is one way to do it,” AT&T said. “It was not an easy decision, but it's the right one given the environment.”

In December, the company had said it would cut 12,000 jobs — 4 percent of its workforce. But the company also announced that it had met its goal of bringing back on shore and in-house more than 3,000 jobs that previously had been outsourced by BellSouth outside the U.S.

Verizon nabs $121M for fed regional telecom

Verizon Business won a $120.8 million, seven-year award from the General Services Administration to provide local voice and data services to federal agencies in five Mid-Atlantic states.

The Mid-Atlantic Local Service Acquisition (LSA) contract lets GSA and other federal agencies in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia immediately buy Centrex, broadband, network-based voice messaging and private line data services, as well as related managed and professional services.

Route1’s MobiNET identity management and service delivery platform acts as a secure teleworking and business continuity solution, Qwest said in a release. Users can securely access files, sensitive data and other digital resources from anywhere by inserting a MobiKey into any Internet-enabled computer. MobiNET is part of Route1’s TruOffice subscription-based service.

Gartner dubs AT&T, Verizon global telecom leaders

AT&T and Verizon are among a handful of communications providers dubbed global “leaders” in Gartner Inc.’s Magic Quadrant for 2008.

In its “Magic Quadrant for Global Network Service Providers” report, published in January, the IT consulting firm cited AT&T for its “high-quality global network services,” as well as its streamlining of sourcing of wired and wireline services. However, the company remains strongest in the United States, according to report authors Neil Rickard and Robert Mason.

With “fiber networks in major countries worldwide, including metropolitan networks in the major cities,” Verizon has pioneered deployment of international high-capacity Ethernet services, the report said. The company also was lauded for comprehensive voice-over-IP services and competitive pricing. But “Verizon is not as strong at partnering with industry players” as other leading providers, it said.

Verizon takes the field and $70.7 million win

The Army has tapped Verizon Business to upgrade infrastructure and bring converged IP communications to five Army installations under the Installation, Information, Infrastructure Modernization contract.

Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone, completed its purchase of Alltel Corp. for $5.9 billion.

The acquisition increases Verizon Wireless’s network by 12.9 million people, to 290 million. The company will have to divest about 2.1 million customers, as required by the Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission.

Verizon Wireless is on Networx teams for Qwest as well as Verizon Business.

About the Author

Sami Lais is a special contributor to Washington Technology.

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